Hood latch



Aug.A 3,0,v 1932 H. a. HAsKlNs ET AL.

HOOD LATCH Filed Jan. 15, 1931 Patented Aug. 30, 1932 UNITED-STATES yP.\.'IENT OFFICEN l HOWARD RnAsRINs ?A'ND HARJLDRQl vAN vooRrIEEs, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, As-

sIGNoRs To TERNSTEDT MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF DETROIT,

CORPORATION or IifIICI'IICf-AN MICHIGAN, VA

1 IIOOD LATCH 'Application-filed January `15,11931. Serial No. 508,900.

This invention relates 1to hood latches `used to hold' down-the hoods-off automotive vehicles. l QN., .1.

The rinvention, relates ,toV thei type "oi hood latch which isconc'ealed in the yhood,andhas only the handle portion projecting outwardly thereromii the present invention relates fto -detald .mprovementsinthelatch.- 1.5 r

The latch AYofi-the `inventionV comprisesa bracket secured to he inside ot the hood; and having pivoted thereto a hook member .provided4 with a handle,j-.The hookmember is adapted to engage `under a keeper mounted onthe' vehicle,'"'l`he hook member has alprojectio'n extending nupwardly therefrom which projection may be integral or separately constructed and rigidly secured to the hook. The projection confines a coil spring which at all times urges the hook of the latch in a direction to engage the keeper. A suilicient amount of lost motion is allowed at the pivot of the latch to allow the latch to move bodily as well as pivotally.

On the drawing:

Figure 1 is a side view of a portion of an automotive vehicle showing the hood with the hood latches applied.

Figure 2 is a section on Figure 1.

igure 3 is a view of the structure of Figure 2 looking from the right with parts broken away.

Figures 4 and 5 are views corresponding to Figures 2 and 3 of a modification. L

Referring to the drawing, the numeral 2 indicates an automotive vehicle as a whole. The vehicle has the usual body 4, cowl 6, hood 8 and radiator shell 10. The hood 8 is hinged at 11 and is secured to the Vvehicle by means of the usual hood latches indicated as a whole at 12.

At each hood latch 12 the hood 8 is provided with an openingv 14 which mateswith an opening 16 in a bracket 18 rigidly secured to the inside ofthe hood by means of the rivets 20. The bracket 18 has the ears 22 which project inwardly of the hood and are provided with openings. Pivoted between the ears 22 in the openingsthereof is the hook the line 2-2 of Latchjesofthis kind areold and member 24 which has the hook 26 at one end andthe handle 2 8 exterior other end. The handle 28 projects through the openings 14 and 16 and is accessible fromv theoutside of the hood. The hook member 24 also includes the outwardly projecting portionl 30 which, in the'speciesof Figures 2 and 3,is cylindrical in form and houses a coil spring 32 held `therein 34: screw-threaded into the cylinder end. The' opposite end of the spring rests against the. bolt 36 forming the pivot between the member 24 and the ears 22. The extension Ois separately constructed and has the fork 38e at its lower end by meansof which it lis to the hood at the by means of theplug Y riveted as at 40 to the member 24 adj acenttlie` hook 26. `Slots42 in the eXtensionBO receive the pivotbolt 36 and are for thepurpose of allowing a bodilyv movement of the latch as well as 'a pivotalmovement.` kThe spring 32 i always |presses againstthe plug 34 and urges the' hook`26 intoengagement withy the keeper 44 -which' is rigidly mounted asshown at 46 to the dashboard 48. At the ronto the engine, the `keeper 44 may be mounted .on `the hoodsupport 50 vor any suitable part of the radiator .or the vehicle.

: Thebracket 18 is provided with a rib52 whichserves asa slide or theprojection or bar el 30. which houses the spring.

on their .pivots` 36 and Von the handles 28- will 5 80 follows:

nraise.,thefhood 8,-fon its hingell. When the is `loweredranld the parts in the dotted rline g'psition of Figure25`the operator may press downwardly on .theirhandles 28 which will give a combinedfpilvotal and bodily movev 'mentto' the'latches` to orce-` the catches 26 nnder the keepersA 44, j The spring32 will "now retain the parts inthe full line position ..o Figure2.

Z theY species Figures and `5,tl1e fprojection is in the form of a flat bar and is formed integral with the hook member 24. The coil spring 32 surrounds the extension 30 and is held therein by means of a washer 52 which has a bent edge 54 which rides over the inner faceof-the bracket 18 to facilitate the operation of thev latch. The lower end of the coil spring 32 rests on the ears 22 of the bracket 18. -Bylreferring to Figures 2 and 4,'it ,is to be noted that the latching` member or 1nandle hook is designed so that there is a continuous camming effect exerted which tends to increase the lat-ching'aetion,l Any upward or outward pull on the hood which would change the pivot point 36 in atransverse or upward direction will increase'this camming action or effect. We claim: l. In a latch for retaining the hoods of automotive vehicles, a stationary keeper secured on the vehicle' and totally concealed by the hood, a bracket secured to the inside of the hood,`a hook member directly pivoted an'extension on v sillent meansy secured to said extension and Y v to the bracket and having an integral "handle extending outside the hood through an opening in the hood, the opening of said pivot being elongated to permit a limited bodily movement of the hookk member and handle,

said hook member, and reconstantly the keeper. y Y

2. In a latch for retaining the hoodsrof automotive vehicles, a stationary keeper secured on the vehicleand normally concealed by the hood, a. bracket secured ony the inside urging said hook to engage with vehicle and normally concealed by the hood, a bracket secured to the inside of the hood, ears on the bracket extending interiorly of the hood, a hook member pivoted between the ears, the hook adapted to engage with the keeper to hold the hood in latched position, and a spring mounted on the hook member between the hook member and the bracket and constantly urging the hook member against the keeper when in latched position, the pivot openingbeing enlargedto permit of bodily movement of the hook member.

5. In a latch for retaining the hoods of vehicles, a stationary keeper secured to the vehicle and normally concealed by the hood, a' bracket secured to the inside of the hood, ears on the bracket extending interiorly of the hood, a hook member pivoted between the ears, the hook adapted to engage with the keeper to hold the hood in latched position, an extension on said member, and a spring surrounding said extension and retained thereon and constantly urging the hook mem-4 ber against the keeper whenin latched position, the pivot opening being enlarged to permit of bodily movement of the hook member. i

In testimony whereof we alix our signatures.

HOWARD B. I-IASKINS. H. E. VAN YOORI-IEES.

of the hood, a hook member including a handle directly pivoted'to the bracket and adapted to engage said keeper, said handle extending outside the hood to operate the hood, the pivotal opening of ysaid pivoted member being elongated to permitof a limited bodily movement of the latch, and means to retain said hook in engagement with said keeper. Y 3. In a latch yfor retaining the hoods of automotive vehicles, a stationary keeper securedjto the vehicle and normally concealed bythe hood, a bracket secured on the inside member directly pivoted adapted to'engage under 1 ofthe hood, a hook to the bracket land .the keeper to hold said hood, an operating handle on said member extending outside the hood, an extension on said hook member projecting away therefrom, a spring surrounding said extension and held thereon between the extension and the bracket and lconstantly urging said hook member into engagement with the keeper, the openings of said pivot being enlarged to permit of a limited bodily movement of ysaid hook member. f

4. In a latch for retainingthe hoods 0f vehicles, a stationary keeper secured to the 

